Los Alamitos might challenge California over state’s sanctuary law

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Only a small media contingent showed up at Los Alamitos City Hall Friday morning in reaction to the statement released by Mayor Dean Grose about his impending resignation for sending an e-mail with a watermelon patch in front of the White House. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: c.mayorreax.sg2.0227 Date shot: 2/27/09 Photo by Sam Gangwer / The Orange County Register

The City Council in Orange County’s second-smallest city is scheduled to vote Monday, March 19 on an ordinance that calls for exempting itself from the California Values Act, SB54, a new law that limits cooperation between law enforcement and immigration authorities.

The state law, which took effect Jan. 1, “may be in direct conflict with federal laws and the Constitution of the United States,” reads the proposed local law.

Stating that council members have taken an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, the ordinance says the council “finds that it is impossible to honor our oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States” and at the same time be in compliance with the new state law.

The proposed ordinance might be the first local attempt in California to officially challenge the law, said Kathleen Kim, a Loyola Law School professor who specializes in immigrants’ rights and human trafficking.

The proposed ordinance contains “flawed argument,” Kim said Friday, March 16. The new state law is “absolutely consistent with the U.S. Constitution,” she said.

Annie Lai, co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at UC Irvine, said Los Alamitos is inviting a lawsuit if the ordinance is adopted.

“It looks like they’re setting themselves up for litigation,” she said.

Councilwoman Shelley Hasselbrink said that if adopting the proposed ordinance doesn’t negatively impact the city, she too would support it “to stay consistent with my oath (of office.)”

Some residents welcome the proposed law.

“Everyone holding elective office takes the same oath to uphold the laws to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. It doesn’t say unless the state legislature decides otherwise,” said Art DeBolt, a longtime community activist, via e-mail. “I do believe somewhere in our history, we fought a war to prevent states from ignoring the law of the land and preserving the union.”

The Los Alamitos City Council is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Monday at 3191 Katella Ave.

Alicia Robinson covers Anaheim for The Orange County Register. She previously spent 10 years at The Press-Enterprise writing about Riverside and local government as well as Norco, Corona, homeless issues, Alzheimer's disease, streetcars, butterflies, horses and chickens. She grew up in the Midwest but earned Southern California native status during many hours spent in traffic. Two big questions Alicia tries to answer in stories about government are: how is it supposed to work, and how is it working?